Sami Pajari has won the Junior WRC and now clinched the WRC2 crown but the “hard work” starts now as the Finn prepares to join the World Rally Championship elite in 2025.
Toyota has put its faith in Finland’s latest prospect to come from its storied rally driver production line by handing the 22-year-old a full-time drive in a GR Yaris Rally1 car next year.
Pajari joins an expanded Toyota driver line-up stacked with talent headlined by the return of two-time world champion and countryman Kalle Rovanpera to a full-time drive. It also includes four-time WRC runner-up Elfyn Evans, eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier and multiple podium finisher Takamoto Katsuta.
Pajari’s stock as a rally driver has been on a steady rise since winning the 2021 Junior WRC title and this year has proved to be a breakout season.
Last weekend he and co-driver Enni Malkonen wrapped up the WRC2 title, driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, with a measured drive to finish second in Japan, his sixth podium, including three wins, from his seven points scoring outings.
His success already earned him three Rally1 outings (Finland, Chile, Central Europe) for Toyota where his talent was immediately recognised with a run to fourth on home soil at Rally Finland, that included a maiden stage win on his top flight debut.
But next year marks the realisation of a dream to become a fully fledged full-time factory driver in the WRC, a feat he is still coming to terms with.
“I think it will take time to really feel it a bit more but for the moment I’m super happy about it,” Pajari told Autosport.
”It is something I have been dreaming for my whole life to be in a works car and reach the top of the sport. This is something I have been chasing and been working on for the last eight years during my career.
“It was always the plan to reach this point but it is not so easy so it will be hard. It is nice to reach this point but I also believe that the hard work starts now. It is nice to make it but the competition is so tough that if you want to make it, it won’t be easy.”
Pajari’s mindset is spot on.
He’s proved his ability to win championships in lower classes and his speed in a Rally1 car, but next year will offer a true litmus test. According to the Finn he feels the next task will be to fully adjust to life in a Rally1 car, a prospect which will offer a new challenge given 2025’s cars will run without hybrid power.
“I think [the next target] it is simply to get used to the car and be more consistent with the pace," he said.
“The competition is even higher in Rally1 than Rally2. There is also someone who is fast on every single stage so you can’t really have a bad stage or bad corner as you are immediately losing time. There will be many many areas where I need to improve.
"I don’t think it [the Rally1 car without hybrid] won't be that big a difference for the driver I guess and anyway I would have been learning the hybrid car still next year, so for me to jump into this situation is not so bad.”
Pajari does however find himself in the perfect environment to hone his already impressive talents by learning from some of the WRC’s elite drivers already in Toyota’s stable. And there won’t be any extra pressure to perform immediately when the new season begins in Monte Carlo in January.
“That [learning from the Toyota drivers this year] has been really nice,” he said. “They have been so supportive to me and have been a big helping hand and without their support it would have been much tougher.
“There is not any specific goals or targets. Of course, we got one fastest stage time this year in a Rally1 car in the three rallies we did and at some point I hope to get more fastest times. I think that will be the first step.
“Then at some point to be on the podium and win some rallies but I guess that is not for next year, at least that is not the target. We will see what our level is at the beginning of the season and try to get better step by step.”
Adding to the challenge of competing in the WRC top flight next season will be gelling with a new yet to be announced co-driver as his three-year partnership with Malkonen came to an end after Rally Japan.
“In 2018 I won the Finnish junior championship with one co-driver, the next year I won the main Finnish championship with another co-driver. In 2021 the Junior WRC victory came with another co-driver and now the WRC2 championship with a fourth different co-driver,” he added.
“We have our reasons why we feel at this point of my career that this is the best move to do. We had a very nice three seasons with Enni and we achieved many many nice things and this year we have won the WRC2 title and now it is time for something else.”
